What each part of the prompt does
- Face before room
- "Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is" comes before the room is described, which matters when everything else in the image is new.
- Sweater and mug
- The red and cream knitted sweater and the mug of hot chocolate give the hands and body something to do, avoiding the stiff, arms-by-the-side pose of many AI portraits.
- Tree as the light
- Warm fairy lights on the tree do two jobs: they explain the warm glow on the face, and they become the "gentle bokeh" behind the person.
- Candid, not catalogue
- "Natural, candid photo style" pulls the result away from a glossy advert, and the few wrapped presents on the floor make the room feel lived in rather than staged.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed. These have no example image yet.
Green sweater Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is and place the person in a cosy living room on Christmas Eve. They wear a forest green knitted sweater with a white snowflake pattern, sit beside a decorated tree with warm fairy lights, and hold a mug of hot chocolate with a smile. Soft warm light, gentle bokeh from the tree lights, a few wrapped presents on the floor. Natural, candid photo style, 4:5 frame.
By the fireplace Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is and place the person in a cosy living room on Christmas Eve. They wear a red and cream knitted sweater, sit in a worn armchair beside a lit fireplace with stockings hanging from the mantel, and hold a mug of hot chocolate with a smile. Warm firelight on the face, soft bokeh from fairy lights on the mantel, a few wrapped presents on the rug. Natural, candid photo style, 4:5 frame.
Christmas morning Keep the face from my uploaded photo exactly as it is and place the person in a cosy living room on Christmas morning. They wear a red and cream knitted sweater, sit on the floor beside a decorated tree and laugh while opening a wrapped present, with torn paper and ribbons around them. Bright soft daylight from a window, the tree lights still glowing. Natural, candid photo style, 4:5 frame.
If the result isn't right
- If the smile looks forced or shows too many teeth, add "a small, relaxed closed-mouth smile like in my photo".
- Hands around the mug can come out with extra fingers; ask for "both hands wrapped around the mug, five fingers each, natural grip".
- When the whole picture turns orange, request "warm light on the face, but keep the sweater's red and cream accurate".
- If it looks like a stock photo, add "slightly messy room, phone-camera snapshot" to bring back a home feel.